It is desirable in recording information on magnetic media to improve and increase the areal recording density to maximize the storage available in a given product based upon the components of that product. Several techniques are currently available such as, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,458 issued Jan. 21, 1997 to Bruce D. Emo and Brian D. Wilson entitled “Variable Zone Layout For Information Storage Disk Drive,” also referred to hereinafter as the '458 patent. This patent is assigned to assignee of the present application and the patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the '458 patent, variable zones are established having boundaries which are a function of the read/write transducer recording performance. The measured read/write performance is used to establish zone boundaries and read/write frequencies for use in each zone. The range of read/write frequencies to be used for each read/write transducer is established by measuring the read/write performance of the transducer. In assembly of a disk drive, for example, using the techniques disclosed in the '458 patent, drive servo information is written in tracks to define a data track pitch based on expected track width characteristics of the read/write transducer selected for use in the drive. A layout of data zones and their respective frequencies is performed.
In addition to considering the read/write performance characteristics of read/write transducers and the establishment of zone layouts, measurement of the track width recording performance of a read/write transducer may be utilized to increase the areal recording density. By packing more closely together tracks of data by using the advantages gained from a narrower track width recording head, the areal density may be increased and thus the recording surface may be customized based on the measured track width of signals written by a read/write transducer. This is described in copending commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/966,591 filed Nov. 10, 1997, also referred to hereinafter as the '591 application, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/538,662 filed Nov. 2, 1995, by Bruce D. Emo and Brian D. Wilson entitled “Variable Zone Layout and Track Pitch Parameter Considerations for Information Storage Disk Drive,” issued on Dec. 21, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,725. The '591 application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the '591 application, techniques are described for measuring the track width of read/write transducers and for using the results of the track width to establish a track pitch for a media to be used in association with the read/write transducer. After the track pitch is established servo information is written in tracks using the measured track width to establish the track pitch to be used. If the device using the above described techniques includes a plurality of recording surfaces, the track pitch for each surface is customized to maximize the areal recording density. However, in each read/write transducer media combination a unique track pitch may be established. Thus, a servo track writing operation with unique pitch spacings will be required for each surface. In addition to considering the track width recording performance in producing the disk drive, the read/write recording performance as described above in the '458 patent may also be used in constructing disk drive to further increase the recording capability of a disk drive product.
While both of the foregoing techniques are very useful and provide advantageous products, it is desirable to increase the efficiency in manufacturing a product when the track width is being considered as a parameter for maximization of the storage to be able to write each surface of the magnetic media with a common servo track pitch rather than individualizing the surfaces based on the measured track width performance.